Where to buy curly beer line?

[vykuza]

Hi folks!

I've gutted the keezer and thrown out the old beer line that hasn't shifted a mililitre of beer in about a year (yuck!). I'm looking to upgrade and have seen some nice coloured curly beer lines in Youtube videos.

Does anyone have a good source that will ship to Australia?

 

[MHB]

Try Andale - self re-coil hose
If they don't have "curly" (they do have coloured) you can make your own curls, just wind it around a mandrill of desired diameter, and heat the line, for some line boiling water is hot enough, for other types you need to use a hot air gun (paint stripper) - just be careful not to melt the line - when it cools it will remember the curly shape. A bit of practice makes it look easy.
Mark

 

[wessmith]

That curly stuff is intended for the gas lines

Wes

 

[TidalPete]

CraftBrewer used to sell a "curly" line to go with their Bronco taps (Go Broncos! Go Queensland! :beerbang: :lol: ) so anything similar & the right internal measurement should work just fine as a beer line if you take MHB's advice.
Normal good quality food-grade beer line should work OK too I reckon, & well worth trying.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I picked up one second hand. My first kegging system was only curly hosed plastic taps in a regular fridge. Really good pour. I have one now as a back up.

 

[TidalPete]

:icon_offtopic: Come on Stu I know you're reading this thread.
Where's that 'Fishing' emoticon when I need it? :beer:

 

[vykuza]

Thanks folks. Much appreciated.

I might just end up doing some softer beer line and coiling it.

So sick of dealing with the rock hard lines.

 

[mr_wibble]

Mark I tried this over the weekend. But when I added the hot water, the mandrill got angry. Please advise.

(My deepest apologies got being off-topic, but i genuinely thought this was a funny and worthwhile post.)

 

[Benn]

Poor bugger looks like Kim Kardashian,

 

[MHB]

OK Try a Mandrel
That is if your pissed off monkey didn't rip your arms off for pouring boiling water on it.
Spelling isn't my strong...
Mark

 

[Pnutapper]

That curly stuff is intended for the gas lines

Wes

+1

And it is a very good idea to use clear tube for so many reasons. If you don't like using multi layer nylon like Valpar or Cobraflex, at least use BEVA or a material that will clean properly without the use of vile detergents.

Nitto and JG tubing coils will develop pin holes so much quicker than Nylon or BEVA.

If you must use coils, Andale (as previously mentioned), Bracton, and Lancer all sell them in predetermined lengths with 6mm ID. This may give you a balancing nightmare. (or not...)

My 2 bob...

 

[MHB]

I only use twin layer (Valpar) line. It can be very handy to coil up excess line when balancing a system and give it a shape memory so it stays where you want it, either coiled up on top of the keg, or so it lets you open the door, then retracts without trying to self open the door.
Same for gas lines (use the same line) it can be handy if it sits along the walls out of the way and is inclined to stay where you want it.

Small radiuses (tight bends) in a beer line can cause turbulence and increased foaming, keep the curves as wide as you can, radiuses of greater than 10 X ID are a pretty good practical minimum.
Mark

 

[mr_wibble]

So my valpar line is 5mm ID, thus aim for >= 100mm diameter curls?
I'm going to have a go at this on the weekend. Sounds cool.

 

[MHB]

Sounds about right if you want to go straight for a minimum...
I had to make up a spring coil once, went to a carpet shop and got a cardboard inner roll, from the hardware a handful of fencing staples, pinned the line in the shape I wanted it and warmed the line with an electric paint stripper. When the line is hot enough it sort of goes a bit transparent, let it cool before unpinning...

This sort of staple
Mark

 

[Pnutapper]

So my valpar line is 5mm ID, thus aim for >= 100mm diameter curls?
I'm going to have a go at this on the weekend. Sounds cool.

Nitto recoil leads like this



have an OD on the loop of 55mm, so with the harder nylon tubing like valpar - the 100mm you aim for is probably prudent.

If you can - my 2 cents worth of advice would be to use very hot (not boiling) water rather than a heat gun. I have seen lots of puddles and gas leaks caused by heat guns over the years. Valpar, Cobraflex, St. Gobain etc are usually rated to a max operating temp of around 50°C. So if you fill the tube with say, 75°C water in a non - pressurized situation, that should be plenty to give the tube a "memory" by the time the water has cooled down again.

 

[MHB]

All good if you are talking about solid Polyethylene, its "heat set temperature" starts around 82oC, 85 should be safe. With Nylon the heat set is over 1100C.
One thing you really don't want to do is set up internal stress, this can be a problem with duel layer line, you end up with one layer thinking it wants to be straight, the other bent and a fight between the two, can lower the line life.

Not saying you don't have to be careful using a heat gun, just that solid or part nylon (the best type of lines) hot water just isn't hot enough.
It would be an interesting idea to adapt a steam appliance (steam mop, cleaner, espresso machine...) there are lots of them around these days, to heat the line from the inside where the nylon is.
Mark

 

[2cranky]

I don't think he sells it anymore.

 

[Pnutapper]

OK... Just for sh!ts and giggles, I thought I would try this out

Materials:

• An old post mix carbonator with a 100mm diameter
• 1.5 mt Flexlayer multiwall tube. (6.35mm x 9.5mm)
• Check valve to connect to hot tap
• 3/8" JG stop cock
• Qty 2" black duct tape
• Around 10Lt hot water

Temp:



Big hot water system set to 75°C max. Starting temp 71°C

Method:

Wrap tube around big monkey carbonator. Fix in place with tape. Connect to hot water.

• 10:30am: fill tube with hot water. (about 3 Lt required before hot water came through.) Shut stop cock when tubing hot
• 11:30: Repeat above
• 12:30: Repeat

Result at 1:30 PM: